The 1970's were nuts! Maybe it was the aftermath the 60's. Maybe it was the influence of psychedelia. Or, maybe JIM STARLIN and his fellow friends at Marvel were just plain lunatics. Don't believe me? Check out the art and story of CAPTAIN MARVEL #33. If I was wearing a hat, it would go off to Jim Starlin. Not olny did he plot this tale, he also penciled and colored it. Steve Englehart did the script while Klaus Janson inked it. Opening the comic we find Rick Jones aka Capt. Marvel going toe to toe with THANOS. (Yes, this is part of Marvel's period were they felt Rick Jones needed to be inserted somewhere ... all the time. In this part of his career he is bound to Captain Marvel. He put on the Nega Bands at some point and when touched together he becomes the Captain while Rick goes to the Negative Zone. When he is Rick, Captain Marvel is stuck in the Negative Zone.) Anyway ... After a 2-page, 26 panel super awesome flashback, we are treated to a Thanos origin. After being exiled from his planet TITAN, Thanos returned to slaughter the land and repopulate it with "outcast aliens". Kronos, a "near-god" creates DRAX THE DESTROYER to counter Thanos. Lots of fighting and confusing things happen and then we can finally turn to page 3, which is presented to you there on the left.

It is on this page we learn ISAAC, Thanos' sentient computer is watching and recording everything. Thanos got his hands on THE COSMIC CUBE, and has gained infinite power. After imprisoning his foes, Thanos performs the "Grand Transformation" and becomes part of the universe. See what I mean? Only 3 pages in and I feel like I have to contact an animal spirit just to keep pace. After draining the Cosmic Cube of it's power Thanos discarded it. Rick Jones picks it up and flees to earth. Thanos follows him, Rick taps the Nega-Bands together and becomes Captain Marvel. The two powerhouses begin to fight. Thanos manhandles Capt. Marvel but leaves him alive. Thanos goes off to do more important things while Mar-Vell is awoken by ISAAC the computer man. (ISAAC stands for Integrel Synaptic Ant-Anionic Computer in case you wanted to know.) Still in possession of the Cube, Mar-Vell tries to think of a new plan. Thanos sees the Avengers approching and with a thought is able to disable them. He shifts them one heartbeat forward in the Space/Time Continuum thus making them unseen to all on earth. Elsewhere, Moondragon and Thanos' dad MENTOR are working on their own plan. It involves rescuing the original inhabitants of TITAN. Seventeen of the original 114 are still alive. Wondering how he can use the Cosmic Cube, Captain Marvel is startled by MANTIS. (Mantis is annoying as she always refers to herself as "This One" or in some other abstract 3rd person.)

Mantis is not affected by Thanos' "Phase-Shift" as ... "This one has perfect control of mind and body." She has her own theories about the Cosmic Cube. Suddenly, DRAX the DESTROYER shows up and blasts Thanos. Upset by this, Thanos transforms into his universal god-state. With his mind, he launches an entire skyscraper at Drax and Mar-Vell.

See what I mean? This issue has some heavy themes. Let's take a break and enjoy this issue's MARVEL VALUE STAMP. Take a deep breath. Let THOR's massive muscles relax your mind.Okay. Ready to move on? Me either ... Five more deep breathes.

Captain Marvel leaves Drax to fight Thanos alone while he gets the Cosmic Cube. He has one last idea. He is approached by Isaac and Mantis. They have linked their minds. Good thing for Mar-Vell as "This One" has brought him the Cube. They come up with a kooky 1970's plan. Isaac and Mantis propose that a god must be worshipped. Thanos exists, yet no one worships him but himself. They know about "Death", Thanos' would be girlfriend, but they think she is not a worshipper. A god can not worship it's self. Thus, if Thanos is not a god, then his power is not self generating and he must somehow still be drawing power from the Cube. They realize that Thanos only discarded the Cosmic Cube to make people think he did not need it! In fact, he is still drawing power from the cosmic cube! Thanos realizes they know his secret and begins to alter reality.

With reality warped, Thanos punishes Mar-Vell further by aging him rapidly. Captain Marvel's hair turns gray, and then he goes bald as you can see in the page to the right. In a last ditch effort, old man Mar-Vell dives and karate chops the cosmic cube.

The plan worked! The cube explodes and Thanks lets out a long winded scream. Mistress Death aka DEATH, his female love interest finds the outcome funny as Thanos becomes a twinkle in her eye. Things revert to normal, but everyone is so stunned that no one speaks. Drax has no sense of purpose and flies off sad......................................................... My head hurts ... but I LOVED THAT ISSUE. ------------------------------------------ This is somewhat enrelated, but I am annoyed with WIKIPEDIA! On their Thanos page they state that he discarded what he believed to be a drained cosmic cube. However, this issue states that he discarded it on purpose to make people believe it was drained when in fact he still drew power from it. I refuse to update anything on Wiki since nerds, nerdier than myself changed my Tigra update!!! In Marvel Premiere #42 she is called Greer Garson, not Greer Grant and I thought it might be an interesting tidbit. AND, the same issue clearly states that Cat-People have the one time ability to project a ghost like version of themselves when their lives are in danger. However, using this aspect of their power set results in death. I was only trying to help but some lustful Tigra fan felt only he can add to her page and DELETED my update. For that I am now jaded and will not be updating "Wrong-a-pedia" ... EVER!!!!! (Take that world!)